Photo Credit: sbe
Chef José Andrés won over the Miami crowd with his original Bazaar restaurant in the SLS Hotel South Beach, crafting inventive and gorgeous plates that evoke the James Beard award-winning Chef’s inimitable style. With dishes that are just as eye-catchingly beautiful as they are delicious, the spot immediately became a hit in Miami. Now, the chef has proven that his knack as both a culinary expert and an artist can prevail in any type of cuisine–this time, he’s bringing the sea to Brickell with his stunning new restaurant, Bazaar Mar, located within the brand-new SLS Brickell Hotel & Residences.
As with all José Andrés restaurants, each takes on its own unique theme, and this one comes straight from the ocean, created by legendary designer Philippe Starck. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, you’re awe-struck from the beautiful contrasts of blue and white hand-painted tiles emblazoning the walls with images of the high seas, from Mykonos and the South Pacific. If you look closely enough, you can even find the chef himself depicted within the seaside visuals. The sleek design, complete with stark white furnishings and an eye-popping sculpture of a fish head with horns, embodies all elements of the sea to create a whimsical theme and a culinary underwater journey.
Chef José Andrés has become famous for his playful and innovative dishes, which not only taste remarkable but also create an entire sensory experience, especially visually. Each dish is presented as its own unique work of art. The menu itself is a deeming challenge to work through as it’s filled with so many unique dishes that it becomes hard to choose. Starting with the Sea Little Snacks section, a few of the standouts included the signature Sashimi Cones, this time made with uni and topped with caviar, which bursts with an amazing amount of flavor in just one bite, creating a perfect way to open up the palette for the rest of the meal. To combine the upcoming dishes with some flavorful libations, we recommend the Sangria Cava-Sherry, a citrusy yet light and refreshing cava sangria made with manzanilla sherry wine and citrus; Or if you’re looking for more of a show and a very Bazaar-esque experience, opt for the LN2 Caipirinha, made with avuá cachaça and fresh lime and frozen by using liquid nitrogen, presented table side.
The artfully plated California Seaweed Funnel Cake is not to be missed, a delicious combination of crunch from the seaweed funnel cake and soft, flavorful avocado, blue crab, salmon roe, mayo and cucumber; another must-try that incorporates Andrés’ traditional Spanish tapas-style format into the sea are the Croquetas de Bacalao, which are rich Spanish codfish fritters with quince paste aioli. However, the dish that certainly won us over for the night and is an absolute must-try is the Ceviche Oysters. This dish truly embodies the impeccable finesse of Chef Andrés skill, as he delicately wraps the oyster around a flavorful ceviche, which goes down smoothly with just the right kick.
Photo Credit: sbe
Two of the more playful yet mouthwateringly tasty dishes were the Bagel & Lox—an adorable looking dish shaped like a fish made out of air bread, topped with russ & daughters’ smoked salmon, picked onions and filled with cream cheese on the inside—and the Po Boy José, a small little sandwich on a steamed brioche bun bursting with flavor from fried baby squid and aioli.
And lastly, the dessert is the perfect way to end the vibrant and rich meal, with sweet treats that will leave you wanting more. Two standouts are the Key Lime Pie, of course, created with a fun, artistic twist, as it comes out served in a sand castle made out of graham crackers. It’s ALMOST so beautiful that you won’t want to touch it, but we promise that once you do, there’s no going back; the other is the Banana Soufflé, a warm and rich soufflé made with caramelized bananas and a side of banana-flavored ice cream, which deliciously brings together the cold and warm sweet tastes.
Photo Credit: sbe
Contrasting with the bright colors of the restaurant, it also features an equally gorgeous yet much darker bar near the front entrance, with complementary touches of black and gold to give the sexy lounge a cool, mysterious feel. Bazaar Mar marks the Michelen-starred chef’s second restaurant in Miami, both of which are located in the sbe hotspots of the SLS Miami Beach and SLS Brickell. Bazaar Mar is open seven days a week for dinner, managed and operated under the Disruptive Restaurant Group umbrella. For more information on the restaurant, hours and menus, click here.
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